– The condition of Augusta’s tennis courts is appalling

As a young resident of central Maine, I am appalled at the poor maintenance of the Augusta’s tennis courts. It is inexcusable that the capital of Maine has let the courts deteriorate.

There are 13 tennis courts in Augusta. With lack of maintenance, the total can literally erode to zero. Cony High School has three outdoor courts that have a plethora of cracks.

Many tennis players are probably familiar with the six outdoor courts behind the Buker Center that have been an integral part of downtown for decades. These were “fixed” in 2017, but soon cracks started to appear, and then the orange cones, which were placed on said cracks for safety reasons.

WBU’s four tennis courts, nestled in the shadow of the Augusta Civic Center, were recently removed.

With the lack of quality playing surfaces, this forces City players to venture further afield, straining other courts like the two Manchester courts and the three Hall-Dale courts.

During the pandemic, tennis outdoors is one of the safest activities. If the city of Augusta wants to promote a healthy lifestyle and not spend money moving a police station that would cost millions, fixing the courts would be money well spent.

I am grateful that I and other tennis players can play indoors during the winter at the ACOPI Tennis and Fitness Center. Once summer and good weather arrives, don’t expect me or many others to head to Augusta Courts as their first place to play tennis.

Billy Noble

sydney